Thirty-One (Schwimmen) Rules
Schwimmen, also called Schnauz, is the German version of Thirty-One: a fast card game for two to nine players. Everyone holds three cards and swaps with the middle to get as close as possible to 31 points in one suit. The lowest hand at the end of a round loses a life.
The rules in five points
- Everyone gets 3 cards from a 32-card deck, and 3 more lie face up in the middle.
- Only your best suit counts: ace 11, king, queen, jack and ten 10 each, the rest their number; 31 is the maximum.
- On your turn, swap one card or all three with the middle, pass, or knock.
- After a knock everybody else gets one more turn, then the cards are shown and the lowest hand loses a life.
- Once your three lives are gone you swim; lose again and you are out. The last player left wins.
Play with friends: Felt Club puts President, Mau-Mau and Thirty-One on your phone: at the same table over Wi-Fi, online or against bots. No ads, no tracking.
The full rules
At a glance
- Players
- 2 to 9
- Cards
- 32 cards, 7 to ace
- Hand
- 3 cards each, 3 face up in the middle
- Lives
- 3 lives, then you swim: lose while swimming and you are out.
- Knocking
- From the second round of turns on, once everybody has had a turn. Everybody else then gets one more turn, and the cards are shown.
- Tie
- Everybody with the lowest value loses a life.
- Everybody passes
- If everybody passes once, three new cards go to the middle.
- Dealer
- Looks at three cards and keeps them or takes three face-down ones instead; the other three go face up into the middle.
Goal of the game
Aim for the highest possible hand in one suit, ideally exactly 31. At the end of every round the lowest hand loses a life. The last player still in the game wins.
Cards and dealing
The game uses 32 cards, 7 to ace. Everyone gets three cards, and three more go face up into the middle.
Under the pub rules the dealer gets two packets of three cards. The dealer looks at the first one and keeps it, or takes the second one instead without looking at it first. The packet not taken goes face up into the middle. Then the player to the dealer’s left begins.
What the cards count
The ace counts 11; king, queen, jack and ten count 10; nine, eight and seven count their number. Only cards of the same suit are added up; with two or three suits in your hand, the best one counts. So the ace and queen of spades with the 7 of hearts make 21.
Three cards of the same rank, say three queens, count 30½ whatever the suits. Exactly 31 is the best suit hand: an ace and two ten-point cards of one suit.
Card values and special hands
What every card counts, and which hands are special under the pub rules.
| Card | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ace | 11 points |
| King, queen, jack, ten | 10 points |
| Nine | 9 points |
| Eight | 8 points |
| Seven | 7 points |
| 31 | Ace plus two ten-point cards of one suit: the best suit hand. Whoever has 31 shows at once. |
| Three of a kind | Three cards of the same rank count 30½, whatever the suits. |
| Three aces | Fire: the round ends at once and everybody else loses a life. |
Your turn
On your turn you do exactly one of these:
- Swap: one of your cards for one from the middle.
- Swap all three: your whole hand for the whole middle.
- Pass: you swap nothing and the next player is up. If everybody passes once in a row, three new cards go into the middle.
- Knock: you announce the end of the round. Everybody else gets exactly one more turn, then the cards are shown. You may knock only from the second round of turns on, once everybody has had a turn.
31 and fire
Whoever has exactly 31 shows their cards at once: the round is over and the lowest hand loses a life.
Three aces are called fire. The round ends at once as well, and everybody else loses a life.
Lives and swimming
Everybody starts with three lives; at a real table people often use three matches. Whoever has the lowest hand at the end of a round loses one. On a tie, everybody with the lowest value loses. A player who knocked loses too if their hand is the lowest.
Without lives you are not out yet: you swim. Lose once more while swimming and you are out. The last player left wins the game.
“At a glance” and the table come straight from the app’s standard rules (template SW-001).
Other ways to play
Almost every table has its own house rules. These variants come with Felt Club as templates:
Family SW-002
Relaxed: four lives, three aces count 33 instead of fire, and nobody loses on a tie.
Quick SW-003
Short: two lives without swimming, knocking is allowed at once, and if everybody passes once the cards are shown.
Tough SW-004
Strict: three of a kind count only 30, swapping all three is not allowed, and a knocker with the lowest hand loses two lives.
In the app you pick the template before the game. Under “Edit rules” you can change any rule, save it and share it with your table.
Try it
Which hand is worth the most?
Four hands under the pub rules. Which one counts the most?
Tap an answer.
Answers
- Wrong. ace of spades, queen of spades, seven of hearts: The ace and queen of spades count 21; the 7 of hearts does not join in.
- Wrong. king of hearts, queen of hearts, nine of hearts: All hearts: 10 + 10 + 9 = 29.
- Right. queen of clubs, queen of diamonds, queen of spades: Three queens count 30½ and beat 29.
- Wrong. ace of diamonds, ten of diamonds, ten of clubs: The ace and 10 of diamonds count 21; the 10 of clubs does not join in.
Is that 31?
Which hand is exactly 31 and gets shown at once?
Tap an answer.
Answers
- Right. ace of hearts, king of hearts, ten of hearts: Ace, king and ten of hearts: 11 + 10 + 10 = 31.
- Wrong. ace of hearts, king of spades, ten of diamonds: Three different suits: only the ace counts, so 11.
- Wrong. nine of spades, eight of spades, seven of spades: All spades, but only 9 + 8 + 7 = 24.
Questions and answers
Is Schwimmen the same as Thirty-One?
Yes, Schwimmen and Schnauz are German names for Thirty-One. The tables differ in their house rules, for example whether three of a kind count 30½ or what three aces do.
What do three aces count?
Under the pub rules three aces are fire: the round ends at once and everybody else loses a life. At other tables they count 33 or just like three of a kind.
What does three of a kind count?
30½, whatever the suits, for example three eights. So it beats every suit hand except 31.
When can you knock?
Under the pub rules from the second round of turns on, once everybody has had a turn. Knocking is your whole turn: you swap nothing.
What happens if everybody passes?
If everybody passes once in a row, the middle is cleared away and three new cards go face up in its place.
What does swimming mean?
A player who has lost their last life swims: they keep playing, but the next round they lose is their last.
What happens on a tie?
Under the pub rules everybody with the lowest value loses a life. In the Family variant nobody loses on a tie.
Can the player who knocked lose?
Yes, if their hand is the lowest at the end. That is why knocking pays off only with a good hand.
What happens when somebody has 31?
They show their cards at once. The round is over, and the lowest hand loses a life.
How many players can play?
Two to nine. Since everybody holds only three cards, one 32-card deck is enough even for a big group.
More games
- President Card Game RulesBeat the cards or pass: the first to run out becomes President.
- Crazy Eights (Mau-Mau) RulesMatch suit or rank, with special cards and the famous “Mau”.
- All rules at a glance